How are the dinners/lunch on Rick Steves tour to Venice, Florence and Rome?

Are you asking about the number of meals or the quality of those meals? We have taken 9 RS tours and have no complaints about any of the meals that his tours provide. Some better than other, granted, but we are not fancy eaters and we do eat out a lot. When we went on his Spain/Portugal tour, the group dinners started about 9 PM when the restaurants reopened after their afternoon closer, and since we go to bed by 8:30, we ate out on our own in Tapas Bars. Not a big deal for us. His tours today do not provide as many meal as when we first started taking them. More tour members and higher prices have also accompanied this "more expensive everything" cycle. We still find his tours as the best bang for the buck that we want.

Hi Charlie, Thanks for your reply.
I was talking more about the quality of the meals. Are all of the lunches and or dinners served in restaurants or also at the hotel? Thanks very much, Ruth

Ruth, Only some of your lunches & dinners will be provided. The tour information will provide more specific details on the number of group meals that are included. With group meals, most of the time tour members are provided with two or three choices, in order to accommodate those with special requirements or preferences (ie: vegetarian). In some cases, wine is included and in other cases only the meal. Usually only the breakfasts are served at the Hotel. Other meals are arranged at local restaurants, or at restaurants in towns the group is passing through. At other times, group members are "on their own" for meals, and sometimes a few members of the group will get together at one of the restaurants. The Guide always provides good recommendations for places to dine. As Charlie mentioned, all the meals have been great. If you saw my waist line, you'd know that I don't suffer from lack of food on the tours!!! Cheers!

I agree with Ken (as usual), but will also add that some of the lunches are picnics which are especially fun. I am a flexible vegetarian (eat fish) and have always had plenty of options and I've taken 5 tours. I can't think of a single meal I've had on a Rick Steves tour that I didn't think was at least above average. Some have been exceptional!

I believe the restaurants on this tour are the choice of the tour guide assigned to your group but I'm not positive. The restaurants serve a variety of items but the menu has been pre-ed by the guide and the only choice you have is by being a vegetarian. Our first night in Venice we went to an obviously popular restaurant but the pasta we were served included octopus and other regional sea creatures. Not a good option in my opinion but I managed to eat enough salad and picked at the pasta. Dessert was gelato which was a hit. Also, one of the highlights was the cooking school in Venice where you will eat the lunch you have prepared. Our last night in Rome featured dinner in a room with another tour group (possibly another RS group - not sure). It was very impersonal and regimented. The meals on the tour were average. I suggest you read Trip Advisor to restaurants you may want to try on the days when lunch
and dinner is not included.

Thank you, Paula, Ken and Laurie for your comments. I appreciate them very much! Ruth

Paula, you are correct. The choice of restaurant and choice of menu is that of the tour guide. I guess I have been lucky to have had tour guides with excellent knowledge of both.